Small Business Assistance

SBDC: Virginia Small Business Development Center

The Virginia SBDC Network is committed to strengthening Virginia’s economy by assisting small business. By helping these businesses become viable and successful in the long term, the SBDC can facilitate economic development within the areas it serves. Impact on Virginia’s economy is measured in several ways. Through its counseling sessions and training seminars, the SBDC strives to create and retain small business employment, to increase capital investment in area businesses, and to improve small business sales and profits.

The Central Virginia SBDC fulfills this mission by providing area businesses with professional, one-on-one management counseling in a variety of financial, marketing, and operational areas as well as through sponsorship of training seminars. The CV SBDC also assists pre-venture and existing businesses in developing their business plans which include market analysis, creating financial projections, and identifying capital needs.

VDBA: Virginia Department of Business Assistance

The Virginia Department of Business Assistance (VDBA), created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1996, provides a one-stop-service for technical assistance related to business formation, access to capital, and workforce development. VDBA works with existing businesses as they grow their workforce and mentors entrepreneurs from ideas to launching their first business venture. To accomplish the objectives set forth in Governor McDonnell's Economic Development and Jobs Creation agenda, VDBA has facilitated $1.3 billion in financing for Virginia businesses, provided technical assistance to over 16,250 businesses and will host over 60 Entrepreneurial Workshops statewide this year.

TJPED: Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development

The Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development is a 501(c)6 non-profit, public / private partnership formed in 1995 to help create new jobs and investment in the Greater Charlottesville Region. TJPED has recently integrated staff and resources with the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center and the Piedmont Workforce Network to expand its services for existing businesses, entrepreneurs, job seekers and employers.

Our service territory includes the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange Counties. We serve as regional liaison for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Virginia Department of Business Assistance for this region.